Systems and methods for detecting alertness of an occupant of a vehicle

ABSTRACT

Exemplary embodiments described in this disclosure are generally directed to systems and methods for detecting alertness of a driver of a vehicle. In one exemplary method, a driver alertness detection system determines whether a driver of a vehicle is susceptible to lagophthalmos. If the driver is susceptible to lagophthalmos, the driver alertness detection system may evaluate an alertness state of the driver by disregarding an eyelid status of the driver and monitoring biometrics of the driver such as, a heart rate and/or a breathing pattern. Alternatively, the driver alertness detection system may evaluate an alertness state of the driver by placing a higher priority on the biometrics of the driver than on the eyelid status. However, if the driver is not susceptible to lagophthalmos, the driver alertness detection system evaluates the alertness state by placing a higher priority on the eyelid status than on the biometrics of the driver.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

This disclosure generally relates to vehicles, and more particularlyrelates to systems and methods for detecting alertness of a driver (or apassenger) of a vehicle.

BACKGROUND

A major concern in traffic safety is driver behavior, particularlydistracted driving and drowsiness. Vehicle manufacturers have addressedsuch types of driver behaviors by offering driving monitoring systems(DSMs). A typical driving monitoring system monitors various physicalcharacteristics of a driver in order to continuously assess his/heralertness. One among the various physical characteristics that aremonitored is a condition of the driver's eyes in order to identifydrowsiness. Typically, the eyelids of a sleepy driver tend to be droopy,partially closed, or fully closed. When such a condition is detected,the driving monitoring system may provide an audible alarm and/orprovide a vibration in the steering wheel of the vehicle so as to awakenthe driver.

While this procedure may be effective in many cases, some drivers maysuffer from a medical condition known as lagophthalmos. A personsuffering from lagophthalmos typically falls asleep with eyes wide open,both during the day when in a sitting position or at night when in bed(nocturnal lagophthalmos). Some people may be born with lagophthalmosand some others may be afflicted with lagophthalmos due to injury or dueto factors such as Bells' palsy, Graves' disease, paralytic stroke, ortumor.

A conventional driving monitoring system that relies largely ondetecting driver alertness based on monitoring a driver's eyes maymistakenly diagnose a driver suffering from lagophthalmos as being fullyalert even though the driver may be asleep. It is therefore desirable toprovide solutions that can monitor driver alertness taking intoconsideration that a driver may have lagophthalmos.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A detailed description is set forth below with reference to theaccompanying drawings. The use of the same reference numerals mayindicate similar or identical items. Various embodiments may utilizeelements and/or components other than those illustrated in the drawings,and some elements and/or components may not be present in variousembodiments. Elements and/or components in the figures are notnecessarily drawn to scale. Throughout this disclosure, depending on thecontext, singular and plural terminology may be used interchangeably.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a driver alertnessdetection system in accordance with the disclosure for detecting analertness state of a driver.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the driver alertnessdetection system in accordance with the disclosure for detecting analertness state of a driver afflicted with lagophthalmos.

FIGS. 3A-3B shows a flowchart of a method of operation of a driveralertness detection system in accordance with the disclosure.

FIG. 4 shows some exemplary components that may be included in a driveralertness detection system in accordance with the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Overview

In terms of a general overview, certain embodiments described in thisdisclosure are generally directed to systems and methods for detectingalertness of a driver of a vehicle. A driver alertness detection systemis used to determine whether a driver of a vehicle is susceptible tolagophthalmos. When the driver is susceptible to lagophthalmos, thedriver alertness detection system may evaluate an alertness state of thedriver by disregarding an eyelid status of the driver and monitoring oneor more biometrics of the driver such as, for example, a heart rate or abreathing pattern. In another exemplary method, the driver alertnessdetection system may evaluate an alertness state of the driver byplacing a higher priority on the biometrics of the driver than on theeyelid status of the driver. However, when the driver is not susceptibleto lagophthalmos, the driver alertness detection system may evaluate thealertness state of the driver by using a standard procedure thatinvolves placing a higher priority on the eyelid status of the driverthan on the biometrics of the driver.

Illustrative Embodiments

The disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with referenceto the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of thedisclosure are shown. This disclosure may, however, be embodied in manydifferent forms and should not be construed as limited to the exemplaryembodiments set forth herein. It will be apparent to persons skilled inthe relevant art that various changes in form and detail can be made tovarious embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent disclosure. Thus, the breadth and scope of the presentdisclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplaryembodiments but should be defined only in accordance with the followingclaims and their equivalents. The description below has been presentedfor the purposes of illustration and is not intended to be exhaustive orto be limited to the precise form disclosed. It should be understoodthat alternate implementations may be used in any combination desired toform additional hybrid implementations of the present disclosure. Forexample, any of the functionality described with respect to a particulardevice or component may be performed by another device or component.Furthermore, while specific device characteristics have been described,embodiments of the disclosure may relate to numerous other devicecharacteristics. Further, although embodiments have been described inlanguage specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, itis to be understood that the disclosure is not necessarily limited tothe specific features or acts described. Rather, the specific featuresand acts are disclosed as illustrative forms of implementing theembodiments.

Certain words and phrases are used herein solely for convenience andsuch words and terms should be interpreted as referring to variousobjects and actions that are generally understood in various forms andequivalencies by persons of ordinary skill in the art. For example, word“driver” as used herein may be equally applicable to a passenger of avehicle or in some cases, to a person who is requesting a ride in aride-share vehicle. Words such as “person” or “occupant” may be used insome cases to indicate a driver, a passenger, or a potential passengerof a vehicle. The word “vehicle” as used in this disclosure can pertainto any one of various types of vehicles such as cars, vans, sportsutility vehicles, trucks, electric vehicles, gasoline vehicles, hybridvehicles, and autonomous vehicles. The word “biometrics” as used in thisdisclosure generally refers to various parameters of a human body thatmay be used to identify a physical condition, such as a sleepingcondition or an alert condition. The word “information” as used hereincan pertain to data, signals, communications (for example, messages) andother such items that can be processed by processing circuitry forcarrying out various operations. Words such as “having,” “suffering,”“condition,” and “afflicted,” may be used in an interchangeable mannerand generally denote that a physical condition such as lagophthalmos isassociated with an individual being referred to. The word “standard” asused herein generally refers to an action that is known in popularpractice. It should also be understood that the word “example” as usedherein is intended to be non-exclusionary and non-limiting in nature.More particularly, the word “exemplary” as used herein indicates oneamong several examples, and it should be understood that no undueemphasis or preference is being directed to the particular example beingdescribed.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a driver alertnessdetection system 100 in accordance with the disclosure for detecting adriver 110 who is asleep at the wheel of a vehicle. The driver alertnessdetection system 100 may be implemented in a variety of ways and caninclude various type of sensors. In one exemplary implementation, thedriver alertness detection system 100 can include an imaging apparatus105, a facial recognition system 120, and one or more biometric sensors(such as an exemplary biometric sensor 115).

The imaging apparatus 105 can be mounted on any of various parts of thevehicle having a field of view that encompasses at least a portion of aface of the driver 110, particularly the eyes of the driver 110. Theimaging apparatus 105 in this example illustration is mounted upon arear-view mirror of the vehicle and is arranged to capture one or moreimages of the eyes of the driver 110. In some cases, the imagingapparatus 105 can be a video camera that captures real-time video of atleast the eyes of the driver 110. In some other cases, the imagingapparatus 105 can be a digital camera that captures digital images of atleast the eyes of the driver 110. The digital images may be captured ona repetitive basis, an intermittent basis, and/or a random basis. Thereal-time video and/or digital images are conveyed to a processingcircuit (not shown) of the driver alertness detection system 100 forprocessing in order to detect an eyelid status of the driver 110. Aneyelid status, such as, for example, an open condition, a droopingcondition, a partially closed condition, or a fully closed condition,can provide an indication of an alertness state of the driver 110.

The facial recognition system 120 can be mounted on any of various partsof the vehicle having a field of view that encompasses a face of thedriver 110. The facial recognition system 120 in this exampleillustration is mounted upon an instrument panel of the vehicle and isarranged to capture images of the face of the driver 110 (digital imagesand/or video). The images may be conveyed to the processing circuit ofthe driver alertness detection system 100 for processing in order toanalyze various facial features of the driver 110. Facial features suchas a drooping mouth, a slack jaw, and/or an angular orientation canprovide an indication of an alertness state of the driver 110.

The biometric sensor 115 can include one or more of various types ofdevices that may be mounted on various parts of the vehicle and used todetect various types of physical conditions of the driver 110 forpurposes of evaluating an alertness state of the driver 110. Thebiometric sensor 115 in this example illustration can be a pressuresensor that senses a placement of the hands of the driver 110 upon thesteering wheel and/or an intensity of a hand grip of the driver 110 uponthe steering wheel. In another example embodiment, the biometric sensor115 can be a body sensor that is provided in a driver seat occupied bythe driver 110. The body sensor may measure various biometric parametersof the driver 110, such as, for example, blood pressure, heart rate,brainwaves, and breathing pattern. The body sensor may incorporatevarious types of technologies, such as, for example, infra-redtechnology, green light technology, radio-frequency (RF) technology,and/or pressure transducer technology.

One example of the use of infra-red technology is for temperaturemeasurements and distance measurements. One example of the use ofgreen-light technology is in fitness monitoring devices such as aFitbit® activity tracker where a pair of LEDs shine green light thatmeasures minute changes in the color characteristics of blood flowingthrough a human body. The color characteristics typically vary incorrespondence to a blood pumping action of the heart and can be used todetermine parameters such as pulse rate and heartbeat.

In the exemplary scenario illustrated in FIG. 1, the processing circuitof the driver alertness detection system 100 may process the informationprovided by the imaging apparatus 105, the facial recognition system120, and/or the biometric sensor 115 over a period of time (which can bereferred to as a sampling period), and conclude that there is a highprobability that the driver 110 is asleep at the wheel. Processing theinformation provided by the various sources such as the imagingapparatus 105, the facial recognition system 120, and/or the biometricsensor 115 may include applying various levels of priorities. In oneexemplary implementation, the application of priorities may be carriedout by applying weights to the information received from the varioussources. Typically, continuous eyelid closure over an extended period ofis a good indicator that a person is asleep. An intermittent eyelidclosure may indicate that a person is drowsy. Heart rate and breathingpatterns can also indicate an alertness state of a person. However, suchstates can be prone to certain ambiguities among different individuals.For example, some physical parameters (such as heart rate, breathingpattern, and/or blood pressure) of an athletic individual may bedifferent than that of a sedentary individual.

Consequently, the processing circuit of the driver alertness detectionsystem 100 may apply a greater weight to the eyelid status of the driver110 than to the biometric measurements. For example, the driveralertness detection system 100 may apply a numerical weight of 8 (out of10) for signals received from the imaging apparatus 105 and/or thefacial recognition system 120, and use this weighting to evaluate theeyelid status of the driver 110. The driver alertness detection system100 may apply a lower weight (5, for example) to the signals receivedfrom the biometric sensor 115 for evaluating other physical conditionsof the driver 110 to determine the alertness state of the driver 110.Such a weighting scheme where the eyelid status is used as primaryindicator of alertness may be effective when the driver 110 does notsuffer from lagophthalmos. However, this approach may be ineffectivewhen the driver 110 has lagophthalmos, because the eyelids of the driver110 may remain open even though the driver 110 has fallen asleep at thewheel.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the driver alertnessdetection system 100 configured to detect an alertness state of anoccupant of a vehicle when afflicted with lagophthalmos. The occupant ofthe vehicle can either be a driver 210 or a passenger 215 of thevehicle. Though the following description is directed at the driver 210,it must be understood that the description is equally applicable to anyoccupant of a vehicle. For example, in some instances, the vehicle canbe an autonomous vehicle and all the occupants of the autonomous vehicleare passengers. In such a situation, particularly when the autonomousvehicle is a ride share vehicle and the passengers do not know eachother, it may be disconcerting for a first passenger to see a secondpassenger sitting with eyes wide open and not responding in a mannerthat is expected of a person who is awake. The first passenger may beunaware that the second passenger is afflicted with lagophthalmos.

In an exemplary scenario that is illustrated in FIG. 1, the driveralertness detection system 100 may process signals received from thebiometric sensor 115 and conclude that there is a high probability thatthe driver 210 is in a sleeping state or a drowsy state. However, due tothe lagophthalmos condition of the driver 210 and the resultingwide-open eyes, the signals received from the imaging apparatus 105and/or the facial recognition system 120 may provide an eyelid statusindicative of the driver 210 being awake. Upon encountering such aconflicting situation, the driver alertness detection system 100 caninitiate a procedure to determine if the driver 210 suffers fromlagophthalmos. In one exemplary implementation, the driver alertnessdetection system 100 may fetch medical records of the driver 210 to doso. In another exemplary implementation, the driver alertness detectionsystem 100 may execute a learning procedure to determine whether thedriver 210 suffers from lagophthalmos.

If one or both of the procedures indicate that the driver 210 suffersfrom lagophthalmos, the driver alertness detection system 100 evaluatesthe alertness state of the driver 210 by placing a higher priority onsignals received from the biometric sensor 115 than on signals receivedfrom devices such as the imaging apparatus 105 and/or the facialrecognition system 120 used to determine an eyelid status of the driver210. For example, the driver alertness detection system 100 may apply anumerical weight of 8 (out of 10) for signals received from thebiometric sensor 115 and a lower weight (5, for example) to the signalsreceived from the imaging apparatus 105 and/or the facial recognitionsystem 120 when evaluating the alertness state of the driver 110.

In accordance with a second implementation of this exemplary embodiment,the driver alertness detection system 100 evaluates the alertness stateof the driver 210 by disregarding signals received from devices such asthe imaging apparatus 105 and/or the facial recognition system 120, andonly process signals received from the biometric sensor 115. Forexample, the driver alertness detection system 100 may evaluate thealertness state of the driver 210 based on a heart rate or a breathingpattern of the driver 210 and disregard an eyelid status of the driver210 in view of the driver 210 having lagophthalmos.

FIGS. 3A-3B shows a flowchart 300 of a method of operation of a driveralertness detection system in accordance with the disclosure. Theflowchart 300 illustrates a sequence of operations that can beimplemented in hardware, software, or a combination thereof. In thecontext of software, the operations represent computer-executableinstructions stored on one or more non-transitory computer-readablemedia (such as a memory 410 that is described below). Thecomputer-executable instructions may be executed by one or moreprocessors (such as a processor 405 that is described below), to performthe recited operations. Generally, computer-executable instructionsinclude routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, andthe like that perform particular functions or implement particularabstract data types. The order in which the operations are described isnot intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of thedescribed operations may be carried out in a different order, omitted,combined in any order, and/or carried out in parallel. Some or all ofthe operations described in the flowchart 300 may be carried out byusing an application such as a driver alertness detection system module411 contained in a memory 410 as described below using FIG. 4.

At block 305, a determination may be made by a driver alertnessdetection system whether an eyelid status of a driver of a vehicleindicates a sleepy or drowsy condition. For example, a processor mayprocess images received from the imaging apparatus 105 and/or the facialrecognition system 120 and conclude that the driver is asleep, based ondetecting that the eyelids of the driver have remained closed for aperiod of time (for over a minute, for example). As another example, theprocessor may process images received from the imaging apparatus 105and/or the facial recognition system 120 and conclude that the driver isdrowsy, based on detecting that the eyelids of the driver closeoccasionally or flutter intermittently over a period of time (for 3minutes, for example).

If the eyelid status of the driver indicates a sleepy or drowsycondition, at block 310, a determination is made whether biometricsignals received from one or more biometric sensors, such as thebiometric sensor 115, indicate a sleeping condition. For example, theprocessor may process signals from a biometric sensor that monitorsbreathing activity of the driver and detect a sleeping breathingpattern. As another example, the processor may process signals from abiometric sensor that monitors brain activity of the driver and detect asleeping brainwave pattern.

If the biometrics of the driver confirm the sleepy or drowsy conditionthat is indicated by the eyelid status of the driver, at block 315, theprocessor draws a conclusion that the driver is in a sleep state.

At block 320, remedial actions may be taken. For example, the driveralertness detection system 100 may communicate with an infotainmentsystem in the vehicle to emit an audible signal (beeps, tones, music,etc.) for waking the driver. When the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle,further action may be taken if the driver does not respond to theaudible signal. For example, the autonomous vehicle may slow down andcome to a halt on the side of a road if the driver does not wake upafter repeated attempts.

If, at block 310, the biometric signals received from the biometricsensor such as the biometric sensor 115 do not indicate a sleepingcondition even though the eyelid status indicates a sleeping or drowsycondition, at block 325, the processor may conclude that the driver iseither drowsy or may have an eye problem.

Consequently, at block 330, the driver alertness detection system 100may display on a display screen of the infotainment system in thevehicle, a message that recommends the driver to take a break or drinkcoffee. In some cases, the processor may advice the driver to seekmedical assistance to treat an eye condition such as redness, dryness,allergies etc.

Turning back to block 305, if the eyelid status of the driver indicatesa sleepy or drowsy condition, at block 335, a determination is madewhether biometric signals received from one or more biometric sensorsindicate a sleeping condition. For example, the processor may detect asleeping breathing pattern and/or a sleeping brainwave pattern thatprovides an indication that the driver is either sleeping or is drowsy.If the biometric sensors indicate that the driver is not in asleeping/drowsy condition, thereby confirming the eyelid status (atblock 305) that is indicative of the driver not being asleep or drowsy,at block 340, no further action is taken by the driver alertnessdetection system 100. However, if the indication provided by thebiometric sensors indicate that the driver is sleepy or drowsy, therebycontradicting the eyelid status (at block 305) that is indicative of thedriver not being asleep or drowsy, at block 345 (FIG. 3B), adetermination is made whether the driver is known to have lagophthalmos.The operations that are carried out to make the determination may alsobe applicable to a passenger of the vehicle or a person requesting aride in a ride share vehicle. As such, words such as “person” or“occupant” may be used below when subject matter is applicable to thedriver and the passenger. Some actions carried out with respect to apassenger may be different than those carried out with respect to adriver, because the passenger is not directly involved with drivingoperations of the vehicle. In these instances, the word “passenger” or“driver” may be used to provide clarity.

Furthermore, in some cases, a person may request a ride in a ride sharevehicle, which can be either an autonomous vehicle or a driver-operatedvehicle. In such cases, the actions described below may be carried outprior to the person becoming an occupant of the ride share vehicle (by aride-share service provider, for example).

At least four different scenarios may be applicable when making thisdetermination. A first scenario pertains to a person havinglagophthalmos and being aware that he/she has lagophthalmos. A secondscenario pertains to a person having lagophthalmos and being unawarethat he/she has lagophthalmos. A third scenario pertains to a person nothaving lagophthalmos and being aware that he/she does not havelagophthalmos. A fourth scenario pertains to a person not havinglagophthalmos and being unaware that he/she does not have lagophthalmos.

If the first scenario is applicable, at block 360, a re-prioritizedalertness monitoring procedure may be executed. The re-prioritizedalertness monitoring procedure refers to a modification of a standardalertness monitoring procedure. The standard alertness monitoringprocedure, which is applicable to an occupant of the vehicle who doesnot have lagophthalmos, involves applying a higher priority (weighting)to the eyelid status of the person than to biometric factors such as abreathing pattern or a heart rate. Thus, the eyelid status of theoccupant becomes the primary criterion for detecting alertness. On theother hand, re-prioritized alertness monitoring procedure involvesapplying a higher priority (weighting) to biometric factors rather thanthe eyelid status of the occupant for detecting alertness because theeyelid status of a person suffering from lagophthalmos may be a poorindicator of alertness.

If the first scenario is not applicable, at block 350, a determinationis made whether the occupant of the vehicle is known to not havelagophthalmos. If, the third scenario is applicable here (i.e., occupantdoes not have lagophthalmos and is aware of it), at block 365, thestandard alertness monitoring procedure may be executed. If, on theother hand, the second or the fourth scenario is applicable here(occupant is unaware if he/she has or does not have lagophthalmos), atblock 355, the processor concludes that a lagophthalmos condition of theoccupant of the vehicle is unknown.

At block 370, a lagophthalmos status of the occupant of the vehicle maybe evaluated. The evaluation may be carried out in various ways and maybe also applicable in the case of a person requesting a ride in a rideshare vehicle. In one exemplary embodiment in accordance with thedisclosure, a processor that can be a part of the driver alertnessdetection system 100 obtains a medical history of a person from one ormore of various sources. For example, the medical history of the personmay be obtained from a server computer that is configured to wirelesslycommunicate with the driver alertness detection system. As anotherexample, the medical history of the person may be obtained from adatabase that is a part of the driver alertness detection system 100. Asyet another example, the medical history of the person may be obtainedfrom a device such as a fitness bracelet worn by the person.

In another exemplary embodiment in accordance with the disclosure, theprocessor can generate a medical profile of the occupant of a vehiclebased on monitoring and analyzing eyelid status and biometric data ofthe occupant over a period of time. The period of time can, for example,correspond to multiple trips performed by the occupant in the vehicle.The medical profile of the occupant may lead to a finding that theoccupant suffers from lagophthalmos. The finding may be based on thebiometric data (such as the heart rate and the breathing pattern of theoccupant) indicating a sleeping profile while the eyelid statusindicates an awake profile. Alternatively, the medical profile of theoccupant may lead to a finding that the occupant does not suffer fromlagophthalmos when both the eyelid status and the biometric dataindicate a sleeping profile.

At block 375, a determination may be made whether the lagophthalmosstatus of the person has been determined. If a determination has beenmade, at block 380, a determination is made whether the person haslagophthalmos. If the person does not have lagophthalmos, the standardalertness monitoring procedure can be executed (block 365). If theperson has lagophthalmos and is an occupant of the vehicle, there-prioritized alertness monitoring procedure can be executed (block360). In one exemplary case where the occupant of the vehicle is apassenger in the vehicle, the other occupants of the vehicle may beinformed of the lagophthalmos condition of the passenger so as toassuage any concerns that the other passengers may have. In anotherexemplary case, the passenger may be provided an eye mask by a driver ofthe vehicle or that is provided in a receptacle of the vehicle. The eyemask may be provided in a ride share vehicle, for example, prior to aperson entering the vehicle. Appropriate messages (text and/or audio)may be provided via the infotainment system of the vehicle to inform theperson about the eye mask. In yet another exemplary case, where thevehicle is an autonomous vehicle, certain actions may be carried out toassist the person suffering from lagophthalmos. These actions mayinclude automatically increasing an amount of window tinting, orrepositioning a seat to provide more comfort and/or privacy to theperson. A person seeking a ride in a ride-share vehicle and is awarethat he/she has lagophthalmos may request a specific type of vehicle ormay request privacy with respect to his/her medical condition.

In some cases, at block 375, it may be discovered that the lagophthalmosstatus of the person is indeterminate. This may occur, for example, ifthe person has an eye defect and/or other physical characteristics thatrender the monitoring and analyzing of the eyelid status and thebiometric data of the person inconclusive.

When the lagophthalmos status of the person is indeterminate, at block385, the person may be informed of the inclusive evaluation results. Thedriver alertness detection system may pursue alternative strategies toresolve the indeterminate lagophthalmos status of the person. Forexample, driver alertness detection system may request input from thedriver via the infotainment system of the vehicle and/or urge the driverto periodically confirm his/her alertness by performing various taskswhen seated in the vehicle. Some exemplary tasks can include touchingcertain components in the vehicle, operating certain components in thevehicle, uttering certain words into a microphone coupled to theinfotainment system.

FIG. 4 shows some exemplary components that may be included in thedriver alertness detection system 100 in accordance with the disclosure.In this example configuration, the driver alertness detection system 100may include a processor 405, an input/output (I/O) interface 420, aneyelid monitoring system 425, one or more biometric sensors such asbiometric sensor (1) 430, biometric sensor (2) 435, and biometric sensor(n) 440 (n≥1), a communications interface 445, and a memory 410. Thevarious components of the driver alertness detection system 100 can becommunicatively coupled to each other via a bus 415.

The bus 415 can be implemented using one or more of various wired and/orwireless technologies. For example, the bus can be a vehicle bus thatuses a controller area network (CAN) bus protocol, a Media OrientedSystems Transport (MOST) bus protocol, and/or a CAN flexible data(CAN-FD) bus protocol. Some or all portions of the bus may also beimplemented using wireless technologies such as Bluetooth®, Zigbee®, ornear-field-communications (NFC), cellular, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi direct,machine-to-machine communication, and/or man-to-machine communication toaccommodate communications between the driver alertness detection system100 and devices such as, for example, an infotainment system 450, afitness bracelet 460, and/or a personal communication device 465.

The memory 410, which is one example of a non-transitorycomputer-readable medium, may be used to store an operating system (OS)413 and one or more code modules such as a driver alertness detectionsystem module 411. The code modules can be provided in the form ofcomputer-executable instructions that are executed by the processor 405for performing various operations in accordance with the disclosure. Forexample, the processor 405 can execute the driver alertness detectionsystem module 411 to perform various actions such as the ones describedabove with reference to FIGS. 3A-3B.

The memory 410 can also include a database 412 that may be used to storeinformation such as, for example, a medical history, a medical profile,physical attributes, medical conditions, and personal preferences of adriver of a vehicle. The database 412 may also be used to storeinformation, such as medical information provided by the driver via agraphical user interface (GUI) 451 of the infotainment system 450.

The input/output (I/O) interface 420 can include various types of wiredand/or wireless circuitry to allow the driver alertness detection system100 to communicate with the infotainment system 450 and a vehiclecomputer 455. In some implementations where the bus 415 is a vehiclebus, the input/output (I/O) interface 420 may be omitted and theinfotainment system 450 and/or the vehicle computer 455 may be coupleddirectly to the bus 415. The vehicle computer 455 may perform variousfunctions of the vehicle such as controlling engine operations (fuelinjection, speed control, emissions control, braking, etc.), managingclimate controls (air conditioning, heating etc.), activating airbags,and issuing warnings (check engine light, bulb failure, low tirepressure, vehicle in blind spot, etc.).

The eyelid monitoring system 425 can include one or more of varioustypes of devices such as the imaging apparatus 105 and the facialrecognition system 120 described above. The biometric sensors caninclude, for example, a pressure sensor and/or a body sensor. Thepressure sensor can be used to detect placement of the hands of a driverupon a steering wheel of a vehicle and/or an intensity of a hand gripupon the steering wheel. The body sensor may be used to measure variousbiometric parameters of a driver, such as, for example, blood pressure,heart rate, brainwaves, and breathing pattern.

The communications interface 445 provides for wireless communicationsbetween the driver alertness detection system 100 and various devicessuch as the fitness bracelet 460, the personal communications device465, and a server computer 475 (via a network 470). The fitness bracelet460, which can include devices such as a Fitbit® activity tracker or anApple® Watch, can provide information that may be used by the driveralertness detection system 100 to determine an alertness condition of adriver. The fitness bracelet 460 may communicate with the driveralertness detection system 100 via a wireless communication link 446that can incorporate technologies such as Bluetooth®, Zigbee®, ornear-field-communications (NFC), cellular, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi direct, andmachine-to-machine communication.

The information provided by the fitness bracelet 460 may, for example,indicate to the driver alertness detection system 100 that the driverdid not have adequate sleep the previous night, or that the driver hashad excessive physical exertion over the past few hours prior to gettinginto the vehicle (walking up a flight of stairs, bending down to pick upmultiple loads, high heart rate associated with exertion, etc.). Suchactions may lead to the driver having a sleeping condition or drowsinesswhen at the wheel of the vehicle.

The personal communication device 465, which can be a smartphone forexample, can provide information that may be used by the driveralertness detection system 100 to determine an alertness condition of adriver. For example, a fitness application executed in the smartphonemay provide information to the driver alertness detection system 100that the driver has undergone excessive physical exertion over the pastfew hours prior to getting into the vehicle. A global positioning system(GPS) application executed in the smartphone may provide walkinginformation to indicate that the driver has walked over a certaindistance prior to getting into the vehicle. The fitness bracelet 460 maycommunicate with the driver alertness detection system 100 via awireless communication link 447 that can incorporate technologies suchas Bluetooth®, Zigbee®, or near-field-communications (NFC), cellular,Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi direct, machine-to-machine communication, and/orman-to-machine communication.

The server computer 475 may communicate with the driver alertnessdetection system 100 via the network 470. Information provided by theserver computer 475 to the driver alertness detection system 100 caninclude a medical history of the driver, and/or information pertainingto websites visited by the driver. The information pertaining to thewebsites may indicate that the driver has communicated with help groups,support groups, social media sites, and medical-related sites forvarious reasons associated with lagophthalmos.

The network 470 may include any one, or a combination of networks, suchas a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a telephonenetwork, a cellular network, a cable network, a wireless network, and/orprivate/public networks such as the Internet. For example, the network470 may support communication technologies such as TCP/IP, Bluetooth,cellular, near-field communication (NFC), Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi direct,machine-to-machine communication, and/or man-to-machine communication.

Some or all portions of the wireless communication link 448 thatsupports communications between the driver alertness detection system100 and a communication device such as a router, for example, that maybe included in the network 470, can be implemented using various typesof wireless technologies such as Bluetooth®, Zigbee®, ornear-field-communications (NFC), cellular, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi direct,machine-to-machine communication, man-to-machine communication, and/or avehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication. The communication link 449that supports communications between the server computer 475 and thenetwork 470 may incorporate one or more of various types of wired and/orwireless technologies used for communications.

In the above disclosure, reference has been made to the accompanyingdrawings, which form a part hereof, which illustrate specificimplementations in which the present disclosure may be practiced. It isunderstood that other implementations may be utilized, and structuralchanges may be made without departing from the scope of the presentdisclosure. References in the specification to “one embodiment,” “anembodiment,” “an example embodiment,” “an exemplary embodiment,”“exemplary implementation,” etc., indicate that the embodiment orimplementation described may include a particular feature, structure, orcharacteristic, but every embodiment or implementation may notnecessarily include the particular feature, structure, orcharacteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring tothe same embodiment or implementation. Further, when a particularfeature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with anembodiment or implementation, one skilled in the art will recognize suchfeature, structure, or characteristic in connection with otherembodiments or implementations whether or not explicitly described.

Implementations of the systems, apparatuses, devices, and methodsdisclosed herein may comprise or utilize one or more devices thatinclude hardware, such as, for example, one or more processors andsystem memory, as discussed herein. An implementation of the devices,systems, and methods disclosed herein may communicate over a computernetwork. A “network” is defined as one or more data links that enablethe transport of electronic data between computer systems and/or modulesand/or other electronic devices. When information is transferred orprovided over a network or another communications connection (eitherhardwired, wireless, or any combination of hardwired or wireless) to acomputer, the computer properly views the connection as a transmissionmedium. Transmission media can include a network and/or data links,which can be used to carry desired program code means in the form ofcomputer-executable instructions or data structures and which can beaccessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer. Combinationsof the above should also be included within the scope of non-transitorycomputer-readable media.

Computer-executable instructions comprise, for example, instructions anddata which, when executed at a processor, cause the processor to performa certain function or group of functions. The computer-executableinstructions may be, for example, binaries, intermediate formatinstructions such as assembly language, or even source code. Althoughthe subject matter has been described in language specific to structuralfeatures and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that thesubject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limitedto the described features or acts described above. Rather, the describedfeatures and acts are disclosed as example forms of implementing theclaims.

A memory device such as the memory 410, can include any one memoryelement or a combination of volatile memory elements (e.g., randomaccess memory (RAM, such as DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM, etc.)) and non-volatilememory elements (e.g., ROM, hard drive, tape, CDROM, etc.). Moreover,the memory device may incorporate electronic, magnetic, optical, and/orother types of storage media. In the context of this document, a“non-transitory computer-readable medium” can be, for example but notlimited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared,or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device. More specific examples (anon-exhaustive list) of the computer-readable medium would include thefollowing: a portable computer diskette (magnetic), a random-accessmemory (RAM) (electronic), a read-only memory (ROM) (electronic), anerasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM, EEPROM, or Flash memory)(electronic), and a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD ROM)(optical). Note that the computer-readable medium could even be paper oranother suitable medium upon which the program is printed, since theprogram can be electronically captured, for instance, via opticalscanning of the paper or other medium, then compiled, interpreted orotherwise processed in a suitable manner if necessary, and then storedin a computer memory.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present disclosure maybe practiced in network computing environments with many types ofcomputer system configurations, including in-dash vehicle computers,personal computers, desktop computers, laptop computers, messageprocessors, handheld devices, multi-processor systems,microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, network PCs,minicomputers, mainframe computers, mobile telephones, PDAs, tablets,pagers, routers, switches, various storage devices, and the like. Thedisclosure may also be practiced in distributed system environmentswhere local and remote computer systems, which are linked (either byhardwired data links, wireless data links, or by any combination ofhardwired and wireless data links) through a network, both performtasks. In a distributed system environment, program modules may belocated in both the local and remote memory storage devices.

Further, where appropriate, the functions described herein can beperformed in one or more of hardware, software, firmware, digitalcomponents, or analog components. For example, one or more applicationspecific integrated circuits (ASICs) can be programmed to carry out oneor more of the systems and procedures described herein. Certain termsare used throughout the description, and claims refer to particularsystem components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, componentsmay be referred to by different names. This document does not intend todistinguish between components that differ in name, but not function.

At least some embodiments of the present disclosure have been directedto computer program products comprising such logic (e.g., in the form ofsoftware) stored on any computer-usable medium. Such software, whenexecuted in one or more data processing devices, causes a device tooperate as described herein.

While various embodiments of the present disclosure have been describedabove, it should be understood that they have been presented by way ofexample only, and not limitation. It will be apparent to persons skilledin the relevant art that various changes in form and detail can be madetherein without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentdisclosure. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure shouldnot be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments butshould be defined only in accordance with the following claims and theirequivalents. The foregoing description has been presented for thepurposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the present disclosure to the precise formdisclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light ofthe above teaching. Further, it should be noted that any or all of theaforementioned alternate implementations may be used in any combinationdesired to form additional hybrid implementations of the presentdisclosure. For example, any of the functionality described with respectto a particular device or component may be performed by another deviceor component. Further, while specific device characteristics have beendescribed, embodiments of the disclosure may relate to numerous otherdevice characteristics. Further, although embodiments have beendescribed in language specific to structural features and/ormethodological acts, it is to be understood that the disclosure is notnecessarily limited to the specific features or acts described. Rather,the specific features and acts are disclosed as illustrative forms ofimplementing the embodiments. Conditional language, such as, amongothers, “can,” “could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically statedotherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, isgenerally intended to convey that certain embodiments could include,while other embodiments may not include, certain features, elements,and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intendedto imply that features, elements, and/or steps are in any way requiredfor one or more embodiments.

That which is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: determining whether anoccupant of a vehicle is susceptible to lagophthalmos; and monitoring aneyelid status and a biometric of the occupant for evaluating analertness state of the occupant; evaluating, based on the occupant beingsusceptible to lagophthalmos, the alertness state of the occupant byplacing a first priority on the biometric and a second priority on theeyelid status, wherein the second priority is lower than the firstpriority.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the occupant of the vehicleis a driver of the vehicle and the biometric of the driver includes aheart rate of the driver and a breathing pattern of the driver, themethod further comprising: evaluating, based on the driver not beingsusceptible to lagophthalmos, the alertness state of the driver byplacing the first priority on the eyelid status and the second priorityon the heart rate or the breathing pattern.
 3. The method of claim 1,wherein determining whether the occupant is susceptible to lagophthalmoscomprises: obtaining at least a portion of a medical history of theoccupant.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether theoccupant is susceptible to lagophthalmos comprises: obtaining input fromthe occupant.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether theoccupant is susceptible to lagophthalmos comprises: generating a medicalprofile of the occupant based on monitoring and analyzing a heart rate,a breathing pattern, or an eyelid status of the occupant over a periodof time.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the occupant of the vehicleis a driver of the vehicle and the period of time corresponds tomultiple trips performed by the driver in the vehicle or when the driveris lying down in a bed.
 7. The method of claim 5, the occupant of thevehicle is one of a driver of the vehicle or a passenger in the vehicle,the method further comprising: including in the medical profile, afinding that the driver of the vehicle or the passenger in the vehiclesuffers from lagophthalmos, wherein the finding is based on detectingthrough the monitoring and analyzing that the heart rate and thebreathing pattern of the driver of the vehicle or the passenger in thevehicle indicate a sleeping profile while the eyelid status indicates anawake profile.
 8. A method comprising: determining whether an occupantof a vehicle is susceptible to lagophthalmos; evaluating, based on theoccupant being susceptible to lagophthalmos, an alertness state of theoccupant by disregarding an eyelid status of the occupant and monitoringone or more biometrics of the occupant; and evaluating, based on theoccupant not being susceptible to lagophthalmos, the alertness state ofthe occupant by placing a first priority on the eyelid status and asecond priority on the one or more biometrics of the occupant, whereinthe second priority is lower than the first priority.
 9. The method ofclaim 8, wherein the occupant of the vehicle is a driver of the vehicleand wherein determining whether the driver of the vehicle is susceptibleto lagophthalmos comprises placing the driver in one of at least fourcategories, the four categories comprising: a first category wherein thedriver of the vehicle has a lagophthalmos affliction and is aware of thelagophthalmos affliction; a second category wherein the driver of thevehicle has a lagophthalmos affliction and is unaware of thelagophthalmos affliction; a third category wherein the driver of thevehicle does not have a lagophthalmos affliction and is aware of nothaving the lagophthalmos affliction; and a fourth category wherein thedriver of the vehicle does not have a lagophthalmos affliction and isunaware of not having the lagophthalmos affliction.
 10. The method ofclaim 8, wherein the occupant of the vehicle is a driver of the vehicleand wherein determining whether the driver is susceptible tolagophthalmos comprises at least one of obtaining from a database atleast a portion of a medical history of the driver, obtaining input fromthe driver, obtaining data from a device.
 11. The method of claim 10,wherein the device is at least one of a first monitoring device locatedin the vehicle or a second monitoring device that is carried by thedriver.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second monitoring deviceis one of a smartphone or a health monitoring bracelet.
 13. The methodof claim 8, wherein the occupant of the vehicle is a driver of thevehicle and wherein determining whether the driver is susceptible tolagophthalmos comprises: generating a medical profile of the driverbased on monitoring and analyzing one or more of a heart rate, abreathing pattern, or an eyelid status of the driver during at least atleast one of multiple trips performed by the driver in the vehicle orwhen the driver is lying down in a bed.
 14. The method of claim 13,further comprising: including in the medical profile, a finding that thedriver suffers from lagophthalmos, wherein the finding is based ondetecting through the monitoring and the analyzing that the heart rateand the breathing pattern of the driver indicate a sleeping profilewhile the eyelid status indicates an awake profile.
 15. A computercomprising: a memory that stores computer-executable instructions; and aprocessor configured to access the memory and execute thecomputer-executable instructions to at least: determine whether anoccupant of a vehicle is susceptible to lagophthalmos; when the occupantis susceptible to lagophthalmos, evaluate an alertness state of theoccupant by disregarding an eyelid status of the occupant and monitoringone or more biometrics of the occupant; and when the occupant is notsusceptible to lagophthalmos, evaluate the alertness state of theoccupant by placing a first priority on the eyelid status and a secondpriority on the one or more biometrics, wherein the second priority islower than the first priority.
 16. The computer of claim 15, wherein thevehicle is an autonomous vehicle and wherein the at least one processoris configured to access the at least one memory and execute additionalcomputer-executable instructions to at least one of obtain from adatabase at least a portion of a medical history of the occupant, inputfrom the occupant, or data from a device.
 17. The computer of claim 16,wherein the device is at least one of a first monitoring device locatedin the vehicle or a second monitoring device that is carried by theoccupant.
 18. The computer of claim 17, wherein the second monitoringdevice is one of a smartphone or a health monitoring bracelet.
 19. Thecomputer of claim 15, wherein the occupant of the vehicle is a driver ofthe vehicle and wherein determining whether the driver is susceptible tolagophthalmos comprises: generating a medical profile of the driverbased on monitoring and analyzing one or more of a heart rate, abreathing pattern, or an eyelid status of the driver during at least atleast one of multiple trips performed by the driver in the vehicle orwhen the driver is lying down in a bed.
 20. The computer of claim 19,further comprising: including in the medical profile, a finding that thedriver suffers from lagophthalmos, wherein the finding is based ondetecting through the monitoring and the analyzing that the heart rateand the breathing pattern of the driver indicate a sleeping profilewhile the eyelid status indicates an awake profile.